This week Brighton Journal spoke to Brighton-based visual artist, Alex Jones. Alex’s work explores material language and its construction, focusing on “how we read and understand language and the formal structures within it.” He predominantly works in oil, acrylic, ink and graphite. Alex is currently creating a series of works for the Artist Support Pledge, as well as a large work on paper from his home studio. We discussed how reading continuously informs Alex’s work, Ed Ruscha, and his favourite things to do locally. Take a look.
What are you doing today?
Working on new pieces.
Describe where you do most of your creative work.
From my home studio.
What’s the most exciting thing you’ve worked on?
Each time I make a new piece there is a sense of excitement, there is a certain degree of not knowing exactly how it might turn out, that I find exciting.
What made you decide to become an artist?
I have always been interested in creative endeavours. I think it comes down to a desire to make things that don’t already exist, to be able to step back and look at them.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a series of small works for the Artist Support Pledge and a large work on paper.
What are the key themes in your work?
I’m interested in language and its structures, how we read and understand language and the formal structures within it.
What would you like people to notice about your work?
That words don’t always need to communicate anything, they can be used to create a shape.
What attracts you to the medium you work in?
I don’t a have a special affection for the medium I use, I have found through time that these materials are the best combination for creating what I want to see. I occasionally try other methods but oil, acrylic, ink and graphite seem to work best right now.
What equipment could you not do without?
A scalpel blade and masking tape.
Who or what inspires you?
I read a lot, sometimes it might just be a single word, and that just sets the ball rolling. I’ll write it down or look at it on a page and others will start to fit around it, it’s like putting a puzzle together.
How is your work affected by living in this area?
Living close to the sea helps more with just general state of mind, I try not to let anything other than the works core ideas influence it. It’s nice to be able to break away sometimes and go and sit on the beach.
What’s your favourite thing to do locally?
Beach and skateboard in the good weather, cafes all year round.
What’s your favourite gallery (or place to see/experience art)?
There are so many good spaces but I was really blown away by the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin.
If you could collaborate with one artist, from any time, who would it be and why?
Ed Ruscha, because he is just so damn cool.
What’s your favourite colour?
Pink.
To find out more about Alex Jones and his work, take a look at his website and Instagram.
